PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL)
Report on
SOLAR CHARGE CONTROLLER USING BJT
Submitted for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the subject
17EEC13
POWER ELECTRONICS
V - SEMESTER & III - YEAR
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN
DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
Submitted by
Register No. Name of the student
21EE018 ILAMATHI M
21EE020 KABILAN G
21EE021 KAMALANATHAN T
21EE022 KAVIN M
Project coordinator
Ms.R.Vijayalakshmi, M.E
AP\EEE
DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
NANDHA ENGINEERING COLLEGE
(An Autonomous Institution, Affiliated to Anna University, Chennai)
OCTOBER 2023
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project work entitled “ Solar Charge Controller using
BJT” is a bonafide work carried out by
Register No. Name of the student
21EE018 ILAMATHI M
21EE020 KABILAN G
21EE021 KAMALANATHAN T
21EE022 KAVIN M
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course 17EEC13 & POWER
ELECTRONICS , V - SEMESTER & III - YEAR of BACHELOR OF
ENGINEERING IN DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND
ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING during the academic year 2023-2024
Project Guide Head of the Department
Mr.V.Arunkumar,M.E., Dr.G.Ramani,M.E.,Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor\EEE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The development of the project as part of Project based Learning in the
course 17EEC13 & Power Electronics, V – Semester & III - Year though it was
an arduous task, it has been made by the help of many people. We are pleased to
express our thanks to the people whose suggestions, comments, criticisms
greatly encouraged us in betterment of the project. We would like to express our
sincere gratitude and indebtedness to project Guide Mr.V.Arunkumar,M.E.,
AP\EEE, for his valuable suggestions and interest throughout the course of this
project.
We wish to convey our gratefulness to our Principal Dr. N.Rengarajan,
B.Sc., B.Tech.,M.E., Ph.D., for his strong support and motivation in
completing this project.
We take this opportunity to express our thanks to Dr.G.Ramani
M.E.,Ph.D Head of the Department & Ms.R.Vijayalakshmi.,M.E Project Co-
Ordinator for their continuous monitoring, motivation and priceless assistance
during the course of our project work.
We express our sincere thanks to all the Faculty Members of Electrical
and Electronics Engineering Department for their help in completing this
project.
Name of the Student
ILAMATHI M (21EE018)
KABILAN G (21EE020)
KAMALANATHAN T (21EE021)
KAVIN M (21EE022)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO
NO
1 ABSTRACT 1
2 INTRODUCTION 2
3 BASIC PRINCIPLE 3
4 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM 4
5 MAIN COMPONENTS 5
6 ABOUT THE COMPONENTS 6
7 HOW IT WORKS 7
8 ADAVANTAGES 8
9 APPLICATIONS 9
10 CONCLUSION 10
11 HARDWARE SNAPSHOT 11
12 ESTIMATION OF
COMPONENTS 12
13 REFERNCE LINK 13
ABSTRACT
The DIY Solar Charger Controller is a cost-effective and versatile device
designed for renewable energy enthusiasts seeking to harness the power of the
sun. This abstract provides a concise overview of the project, highlighting its
key features, benefits, and potential applications.
This project aims to empower individuals with a fundamental
understanding of solar energy management by offering a comprehensive guide
to building a solar charger controller. The DIY Solar Charger Controller is
designed to efficiently regulate the charging and discharging of batteries in a
solar power system, ensuring optimal energy utilization.
Key features of this project include a microcontroller-based control
system, the ability to accommodate various battery types, adjustable charge and
discharge parameters, and real-time monitoring capabilities. These features
make it suitable for a wide range of applications, from small-scale solar
installations for remote areas to educational purposes and hobbyist projects.
By providing step-by-step instructions, circuit diagrams, and programming
code, this project encourages hands-on learning and customization. It promotes
sustainability by enabling users to reduce their carbon footprint and energy
costs through solar power.
1
6
INTRODUCTION
This solar charger is actually a LowDropoutVoltage (LDO) charger. It uses a
series P-channel MOSFET linear regulator and a simple differential amplifier.
Though it is mainly intended for charging 12V lead-acid batteries, the output
charging voltage can be adjusted by the potentiometer.
2
7
BASIC PRINCIPLE
Designing a DIY charge controller using a Bipolar Junction
Transistor (BJT) involves using the BJT as a switch to regulate the
flow of current from a solar panel to a battery. Here are the basic
principles for creating a simple DIY charge controller using a BJT:
Components:
Solar Panel: The solar panel collects energy from the sun and
converts it into electrical energy.
Battery: The battery stores the energy generated by the solar panel
for later use.
BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor): The BJT acts as a switch to
control the flow of current from the solar panel to the battery.
Diode: A diode is used to prevent the battery from discharging
through the solar panel at night.
Resistor: A resistor is used to bias the BJT in the active region and
control the base current.
Zener Diode : A Zener diode can be used for overvoltage protection by
shunting excess voltage when the battery is fully charged.
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CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
9
MAIN COMPONENTS
S.NO COMPONENTS RANGE QUANTITY
10k 4
1 RESISTORS 4.75K 2
1K 1
2 DIODES P600G 1
1N4148 1
1N4735A(ZENER) 1
3 THROUGH HOLE RESISTORS 20k ohm 2
18k ohm 1
3.9k ohm 1
4 CAPACITOR 0.1uF 2
5 BJT 2N3904 3
6 ROTARY POTENTIOMETER --- 1
7 P- CHANNEL MOSFET FQP27P06 (60V) 1
8 LED RED 1
GREEN 1
10
ABOUT THE COMPONENTS
BJT: A Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) is a type of semiconductor
device used in electronic circuits for various applications, including
amplification, switching, and signal processing. BJTs are categorized into two
main types: NPN (Negative-Positive-Negative) and PNP (Positive-Negative-
Positive).
A BJT consists of three semiconductor layers: the emitter, base, and
collector. In an NPN transistor, the emitter is made of N-type material, the base
is P-type material, and the collector is N-type material. In a PNP transistor, the
doping types are reversed.
BREADBOARDS
A breadboard (sometimes called protoboard) is essentially the foundation
to construct and prototype electronics. A breadboard allows for easy and quick
creation of temporary electronic circuits or to carry out experiments with circuit
design.
RESISTOR
The flow of current across the resistor device adjustable resistors are
refers to as potentiometers
LED
The high efficiency and directional nature of LEDs makes them ideal for
many industrial uses
BATTERY
A battery is a device that is able to store electrical energy
MOSFET
A MOSFET is a three-terminal semiconductor device with a gate, source, and
drain. The gate is insulated from the channel (between the source and drain) by
a thin oxide layer. The channel is typically made of a semiconductor material,
such as silicon.
HOW IT WORKS
R4 and D1 form a 6V shunt Zener voltage reference. Q3 & Q2
make up the classic differential amplifier that amplifies the difference
between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage from the arm
of potentiometer R6. The output is taken from the collector of Q1 and
drives the gate of P Channel MOSFET Q3. Differential voltage gain
is probably in the order of 100 to 200. For best performance, I
selected Q1 & Q2 for matched hFE. As the feedback voltage
increases at the arm of R6, Q2 turns on harder and steals some of the
emitter currents away from Q1. The collector current of Q1 follows
the emitter current and drops less voltage across R1 thus reducing Vgs
of Q3 and turning it off. C2 provides frequency compensation to
prevent the amplifier from oscillating.
Q3 is dormant unless the battery is the connected reverse
should this happen, Q3 turns on and reduces the reference voltage
input to zero thus turning Q1 & Q3 and preventing damaging battery
current.
D3 prevents the battery voltage from appearing
across an inactive solar panel.
7
ADVANTAGES
Advantages of a DIY solar charge controller using a BJT:
1. Customization to meet specific needs.
2. Cost savings.
3. Valuable learning experience.
4. Adaptability and upcycling.
5. Greater control over features.
6. Satisfaction and ownership.
7. Emergency preparedness.
8
APPLICATIONS
A DIY solar charge controller using a BJT can be used for:
1. Charging batteries in remote places.
2. Building portable chargers for outdoor use.
3. Running solar-powered lights.
4. Teaching electronics.
5. Creating backup power.
6. Monitoring systems.
7. Eco-friendly projects.
8. Solar gadgets.
9. Learning about solar energy.
9
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, a DIY solar charge controller using a BJT offers
several benefits, including customization, cost savings, a valuable
learning experience, adaptability, and greater control over features. It
can be used in various applications, from off-grid power systems to
educational projects and emergency backup solutions. However, it's
important to emphasize that DIY projects of this nature require a solid
understanding of electronics, safety precautions, and may not be
suitable for everyone. When undertaken with care and expertise, a
DIY solar charge controller using a BJT can be a rewarding and
practical addition to solar energy systems.
10
HARDWARE SNAPSHOT
ESTIMATION OF COMPONENTS
S.N COMPONENTS QUANTITY COST
O
1 SOLAR PANEL 1 200
2 12V BATTERY 1 300
MOSFET (60V)
3 1 50
4 BJT 3 18
5 DIODES 3 9
6 RESISTORS 12 12
7 LED 2 4
TOTAL
COST=593
12
REFERENCE LINK
http://www.hackster.io/techmirtz/diy-solar-charge-controller-45157d
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